High school girls | Imamother

amother

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 11:04 pm

What do you think should be taught to bais yaakov girls besides for chumash, Navi, yahadus, ivris, and all their other classes? What do you feel like girls these days are missing the most and would benefit from learning?

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 11:13 pm

All regular BY high schools have way more subjects than you wrote. I don’t know any normal school that has just Chumash Navi Yahadus and ivris and im in the field so I know most Byhs’s
My daughters schools and the school I teach in are not missing anything since they have a way larger variety.
Tefilla, historia, Halacha,hashkafa (we have a few of those, some more theme based, some question and answer type , mussar ( for example mussar seforim like mesilas yesharim). Kesuvim like megilla, tehillim.
Some schools have a course on Neshei Yisroel with various names, about womens issues.
I’m probably leaving out some

amother

Arcticblue

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 11:18 pm

I think we should continue teaching those subjects, but without the insane emphasis on memorizing, tests, quizzes, grades etc.

Teach it in a way that is inspiring, that brings out the beautiful lessons and concepts. Teach it in a way that makes the girls feel connected to Torah and yiddishkeit.

Stop teaching with a focus just on grades, so that the girls are frantically scribblong notes, because if they miss one detail they risk being humiliated the next day when the the teacher does oral review quizzes.

Teach in a way that doesn't have girls happily dumping their notes in the garbage when they graduate HS. Teach in a way that will inspire the girls to want to continue learning independently (and maybe even teach themselves).

In short: revamp the teaching goals and methods before adding more subjects. Our girls have enough subjects on their plate as it is with a dual curriculum.

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 11:22 pm

mushkamothers wrote:

Unpopular opinion: none of that should be taught. They should learn skills for actually running a home and having a career and healthy relationships.

Stop dumbing down our girls!
I have daughters who love to learn. They have the rest of their lives to mop floors. Let them expand their brain, challenge their minds and soak it all in while they can.
My daughters love school, and love learning challenging deep meforshim or a good pachad Yitzchok.
If you want your girls to learn how to peel potatoes, keep them home, but don’t ruin my child’s education.
(Btw every byhs I know has cooking- home ec classes as well)

amother

Azure

Thu, Apr 28 2022, 11:49 pm

Home economics.

I went to an academic school and learnt home economics as well as Chumash, Navi, halacha, ivris, bayis yehudi (hashkafa for wife/mother), chovos halevavos, parsha, tehillim, etc., and all English subjects for regents, computer programs like word, excel and photoshop, accounting, the mesilos budgeting course, and the list goes on.

Home economics included learning how to fold laundry, bake/braid challah, polish silver, diff types of frying and when to use what, kitchen substitutes, basic housecleaning tips, how to ship, how to make leftovers more exciting, basic sewing skills, and more. It was a fun class that we learnt a ton.

lfab

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:03 am

Financial literacy! It's amazing how many girls leave high school still with such a tenous understanding of finances. They can learn about basics such as budgeting, prioritizing expenses, how credit cards work (ie they actually need to be payed off or you keep accruing further debt) as well as more complex topics such as various types of investments, the value of compound interest, stock market basics, etc.

#BestBubby

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:14 am

Second the financial / budgeting / investing for retirement skills. And avoiding Credit Card Debt.

Also basic sewing skills.

I feel Limudei Kodesh should be more Hashkafa based - what middos or lessons do we learn from
these stories from Tanach. I don't think most girls enjoy the insane pressure with memorizing every
detail and a zillion meforshim. It's like overdoing Pesach to the point of Hating Pesach, Ch"V.
Yotzei Sechora B'Hefseida (The loss is bigger than the gain).

Be'or Tefillah

Halachah - especially Kosher Kitchen and Hilchos Shobbos.

amother

Turquoise

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:22 am

Everything mentioned is taught already. Your all suggesting things that are part of every good school’s curriculum already.
Most schools have a financial- budgeting course. Mesillah developed it for hs students.
People keep posting they want hashkafa classes, I wrote that my daughter’s have a few of these a week.
Op wrote for suggestions of what is NOT being taught. Everything suggested is being taught already (well except for the finishing school nonsense, my daughters don’t live in London circa 1935 b”h)

amother

Turquoise

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:26 am

#BestBubby wrote:

What century are you in? No one memorized meforshim. You learn how to read them, understand the language and how to delve deeper. Meforshim is the opposite of memorization.
Our girls deserve better then the fluff that your proposing. My daughters have a g-d given brain that they enjoy developing.
Mussar, inspiration, self development comes from challenging your mind and thought.
A bunch of fluffy lessons will bore and disinterest any average or above average girl.
Your approach is actually completely misguided

mushkamothers

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:28 am

amother [ Turquoise ] wrote:

I taught in high school. The girls aren't yeshiva bachurim there's no reason they're learning insane academics that are burning them out and making them hate it. Home ec is hardly peeling potatoes and mopping floors. BTW what did the aishes chayil do exactly... it wasn't a million gemers

GLUE

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:41 am

amother [ Ebony ] wrote:

Manners
Poise
Charm
How to be a lady
Most right wing girls schools today are the polar opposite of finishing schools

When the Kaplens first started Bais Yaakov some one gave them a lot of money to teach these subjects and turn the school into a finishing school.

The Kaplens said no

A Bais Yaakov is not a finishing school

GLUE

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:47 am

Fixing bikes, do you know how much $$ that would save a family if the mother knows how to build and fix a bicycle.

I think we should also teach time management and how to be organized

#BestBubby

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 12:55 am

GLUE wrote:

Fixing bikes, do you know how much $$ that would save a family if the mother knows how to build and fix a bicycle.

Good one.

Many mothers (and fathers) save $$$ by giving their boys haircuts with electric clippers.

amother

Turquoise

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 1:03 am

mushkamothers wrote:

I teach and I have a bunch of daughters.
My daughters both post hs and in hs and elementary school love school.
They and their friends are happy healthy great kids who love their teachers and school.
My students are also a happy amazing bunch.
No one is burned out.
If anything they hate math, writing long essays, grammar and whatever foreign language the school chooses to teach.
My daughters and students can’t get enough of their limudai kodesh classes.
If they ever cut class or complain it’s usually an extra English class like law or careers.
All the by girls I know are not “burned out” they’re inspired and excited. They choose to go to e”y for an extra year of intense learning.
Maybe it’s time to switch your child’s school or to have an attitude change. It all starts at the top

#BestBubby

Fri, Apr 29 2022, 1:21 am

amother [ Turquoise ] wrote:

Perfect example of all intellectual learning and no middos.

Maybe time to revamp the curriculum.